American Dream Essay Examples

531 words - 2 pages
When I am asked how do you define the concept of the American dream? I think about how for many people the American dream can represent a lot of things. It can be as small as to where they want to live when they have the chance to pick, or as reminder as to how they would like to change the world to improve the future for themselves. An American dream can be one of a nation or an individual person's dream. But this dream for me is simply the urge for a better life. The beginning of the nation's American dream seemed to have come to us in the pioneering...
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842 words - 3 pages
The Modern American Dream The American dream is a widely fanaticized thought that portrays guidelines for achieving success. It revolves around the importance of the individual and the pursuit of happiness. The idea that makes this dream universal and versatile is that it can change indefinitely. Yet as it evolves, the defining characteristics of an individual's dream continue to be having love and feeling successful. In The Great Gatsby, Death of...
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1209 words - 5 pages
The "American Dream"Rafael Cruz, father of current US Senate, Ted Cruz, once said, "Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That's the greatness of this country." I completely agree with Mr. Cruz, because he is right; only in America can one start at the bottom of the totem pole and make it all the way to the top. Mr. Cruz is the perfect example; he came from Cuba in 1957 and had nothing but "the clothes on...
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973 words - 4 pages
The American Dream is something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America all one needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows anyone that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out their individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that everyone can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to...
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978 words - 4 pages
AMERICAN DREAM Government & Economy The American dream, it has been said, means different things to different people. Differences in wealth and status affect the meaning of the dream for different people. Its meaning has also changed repeatedly over time. The reason that they have changed is because the American Dream is regulated by the government and the economy. An eighteenth century, white, male plantation owners' answer to the question, "What is the American Dream?" would probably be different from that of a modern, black, buisness-type female. A common essence shines through these many aspects of...
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554 words - 2 pages
The American Dream is different in every-ones eyes. For some people the American Dream is a chance to get out of their country and go to a new one, maybe in search of a better life! In some countries, you do not have the freedom to speak your mind, to work to own your own home, have vacations, no religious freedoms etc.. People come to the U.S.A. to get away from their old life, like Sam and his brothers. They came to America to have a better life and throughout their lives they pursue the American Dream. As Jules and Izzy get older, their American...
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682 words - 3 pages
Diego SalinasMs. G. RamirezEnglish 1302March 24, 2014The American DreamToday, many people migrate to the United States of America in search of the American Dream freedom, equality, and the ability to achieve personal goals that would of not been possible on their homeland. The American Dream is the pursuit of prosperity and opportunity that drives people to push their own limits and persevere in order to lead successful lives and achieve whatever goals they set. The American Dream is a reality that every citizen of the United States of...
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726 words - 3 pages
Six Degrees of Separation, Rent, and Glengarry Glen Ross are all wonderful plays, each of which explores the idea of the "American Dream," but each has a different twist to its definition. The main difference between these three plays is that each one deals with a different class of people who have different ideological views. Throughout these plays we...
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1212 words - 5 pages
Rendina5Jacob Rendina . GregerEnglish, P.221 May 2014The National Illusion: How Unobtainable is The Dream?Almost one-hundred and fifty years ago, Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur explained, "The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must, therefore, entertain new ideals and form new opinions". Crèvecœur, a French writer baffled by the freedom and social mobility of Americans, captured the revolutionary lifestyle through immigrants' eyes. This American Dream has influenced the overall motivations of the nation since its origin in 1782 when Crèvecœur first recognized the idea. In today's modern...
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577 words - 2 pages
The Creation of a New lifeThe American Dream is a dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is a dream in which life is full of joy and prosperity, a place where problems are solved, and where new lives are begun. It's a place where freedom strives, a place where you can be whatever you want to be. The American dream is not a dream for the whites nor blacks nor Asians nor Hispanics but for each and every background and nationality. Mostly if not all of our grandparents, great grandparents or even our own parents had come from another part of the world. They all had come for this American...
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586 words - 2 pages
Everyone has his or her own idea of what the ?American Dream? is. To some it is to not work and live on an island and do nothing but party and relax. To others it is to just be healthy and have loved ones around without thinking and worrying about money. Whatever it may be for one, it all leads to success. The success to fulfill a person?s ?American Dream? is not often completed, and may even compromise to feel as if it was fulfilled, and others just keep working at it. As in ? The Streetcar named desire? and ?
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1735 words - 7 pages
The American Dream Having a family and finding a nice place to rear children does not seem like an unobtainable goal in the twentieth century, but once it was. In the past, a nice home, two automobiles, and high social status was a dream that would ensure happiness for the common man. Their dream was of the American Dream, defined by Webster as "an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity." Currently, the American dream varies from person to person, touching every aspect of their lives. The authors, John Updike, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Cheever...
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1738 words - 7 pages
AMERICAN DREAMS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIESAmerican Dreams and Equal Opportunitiesby JadwigaIn my project I try to answer major questions on an important, long-standing issue that concerns American society, namely the relationship between equality of opportunities and the American Dream:1) What definition of the American Dream matches the 21st century American society?2) To what extent is the American Dream alive in the United States today?3) Is the ethos of "equal-opportunities in America" still valid?I hope that answering these questions will allow me to address whether Americans feel they are free to achieve - what they consider as -...
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1185 words - 5 pages
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Jenny HyungMr. Richardson, Period 3English 11 A22 October 2014The American DreamThe starvation was getting stronger and stronger, but they needed to survive even if it meant eating their dead mother. The Chesapeake Bay colonists had a very strong dream, so strong that they would do anything to survive and make those dreams come true. They wanted wealth and riches, to pay off their debt and live outside the poverty line, which was their American dream. The Massachusetts Bay colonists' American dream was to practice their religion without persecution. The dreams for both of the...
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1550 words - 6 pages
Date: March 13th 09The Great Gatsby and the Corruption of the American DreamAs people we are incapable of comprehending the unhappiness we bring upon ourselves with are desire to achieve the American dream. Proof of this materialistic belief of happiness comes from the novel the Great Gatsby, the protagonist Jay Gatsby is possessed for five years by the memory of the loss of the women of his dreams (
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529 words - 2 pages
The American Dream and the American Negro Baldwin states in "The American Dream and the American Negro" that many African Americans "don't believe anything the white world says and don't entirely believe anything that I or Martin says" (Paragraph 19). America has overcome this statement of racial issues and has proven that it is no longer applicable in America today. Today African Americans have as many equal rights as white Americans. America is now a diverse nation where racism and prejudice are unjustifiable. Many things have changed throughout these years...
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2252 words - 9 pages
Living the American Dream is becoming something farther and farther out of reach for our society, and many don’t even realize it. The current teenage population is projected to be less successful than their parents are. Poverty circumstances that many citizens are born into are increasingly harder to overcome. How can young adults escape the poverty levels in order to become competitive in the professional world when the opportunities are slimmer than ever? American society is becoming harder for those to get ahead and live the American Dream; living above the status quo takes dedication, perseverance, and tenacity.
Poverty has many different meanings throughout the world, to some, poverty...
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1225 words - 5 pages
The American Dream is known to be a hope for a better, richer, happier life for all citizens of every class. For almost all Americans, this entails earning a college degree, gaining a good job, buying a house, and starting a family. Although this seems wonderful, a large amount of the American population believes that the Dream has changed immensely because of increased prices in today’s society, the price of tuition being highly unaffordable, as well as the unemployment rate skyrocketing and weaker job growth. While some American citizens believe it has changed, others believe that the American Dream has not changed, but point out it is harder to obtain.
There are multiple factors that...
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1114 words - 4 pages
So what is the American dream?As you well know, we as a class early this term studied that exact subject. We defined it into words such as POWER, FREEDOM, LIBERTY, SUCCESS, WEALTH and to be NUMBER ONE.The denotative meaning of the American dream is given in the Random House Dictionary: 1. The ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. 2. A life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.The term was first used by James Adams in his book the Epic of America that was written in 1931. He states:"The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should...
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978 words - 4 pages
AMERICAN DREAM Government & Economy The American dream, it has been said, means different things to different people. Differences in wealth and status affect the meaning of the dream for different people. Its meaning has also changed repeatedly over time. The reason that they have changed is because the American Dream is regulated by the government and the economy. An eighteenth century, white, male plantation owners' answer to the question, "What is the American Dream?" would probably be different from that of a modern, black, buisness-type female. A common essence shines through these many aspects of...
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978 words - 4 pages
AMERICAN DREAM Government & Economy The American dream, it has been said, means different things to different people. Differences in wealth and status affect the meaning of the dream for different people. Its meaning has also changed repeatedly over time. The reason that they have changed is because the American Dream is regulated by the government and the economy. An eighteenth century, white, male plantation owners' answer to the question, "What is the American Dream?" would probably be different from that of a modern, black, buisness-type female. A common essence shines through these many aspects of...
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896 words - 4 pages
Fortune, ease of life, and a good future are what come mind when one thinks of the American dream. A dream one wishes to fulfill that is cast upon him by stories from the "nation of promise."� In our country, a good life comes from the amount of material object one is able to buy, and a good life is what the American dream is. In our class we have read many articles concerning the American dream. The Novel, the
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805 words - 3 pages
Today the American dream is the story of rags to riches, that you can do anything. The first person to live the America dream was Benjamin Franklin; he became the embodiment of the American dream. He started poor and errand so much money he became a multi-millionaire. Thomas Jefferson was another person that contributed to the American Dream by writing the Declaration of Independence separating the U.S. from Great Britain by reinstating our freedoms that today make the American Dream possible. Michel -Guillaume Jean de...
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2469 words - 10 pages
The Impossible American Dream in Anzia Yezierska's “America and I,” Uncle and Jayanti from Chitra Divakaruni's “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs,” and Leon from Fae Myenne Ng's Bone. America has always been characterized as the land of dreams and opportunities. Immigrants entering America took these characterizations to heart. The dreams and aspirations of stable, wealthy, and happy lives in America became...
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1186 words - 5 pages
In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a vivid portrait of life in the Jazz Age. Taking place in between World War I and the Great Depression, people during this time were all trying to achieve their own version of the American Dream. If it meant becoming rich as quick as possible, or the old fashioned way, everyone had their eyes set on the same prize, money. People would do anything to get it and morals were all but lost in this frenzy to become rich. Fitzgerald uses his novel as a way to demonstrate and criticize different versions of the American Dream. He gives us a variety...
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706 words - 3 pages
Bassam Alsuhaili NA2 EnglishThe American dream is impossibleAmerica has come to represent ideals such as wealth, happiness, and freedom. Immigrants travel to America in search of the American Dream, constructed of these hopes, although the majority of foreigners and natives alike never discover it. Various American novelists comprehend this unachievable desire and explore its depths in books that have now become classics. Among these novels are John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. In of mice and men, two men with the names Lennie and George roam California in the...
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1655 words - 7 pages
A commonly held tenet among people from all generations is that hard work will ultimately lead to wealth and prosperity. This concept, illustrated in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is known as the American Dream. Although many have this dream today, it is a one in a million chance to attain it, regardless of whether or not a person is tremendously deserving of such success. James Gatz, later known as Jay Gatsby, is a character who experiences this minute probability of the American Dream coming true. Through the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is so difficult to achieve that it is unattainable.
Gatsby hosts extravagant parties that imply that...
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940 words - 4 pages
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck illustrates the dreams of George,Lennie, and other characters and how these dreams are unrealistic and unattainable .Their dreams were the reason that these characters kept moving forward but because of difficult circumstances the dreams of George,Lennie,Candy and Curley's wife are shattered , they knew that their dream was never really attainable but they still had hope but because they were so greatly impacted by Lennies actions their dreams are never accomplished.
Most of the characters in Of Mice and Men have their own version of the “American Dream” and in all their dreams they are happy ,and have finally reached their goal....
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654 words - 3 pages
Wyatt StuckeMy American DreamOctober 18, 2012I believe the American dream can have two sides. One applies to those who find themselves migrating to our country as immigrants seeking a better life or a modified version of their old one. Secondly the version that applies to those who were born and raised in America and are seeking success and self-fulfillment. I obviously apply only to the latter of the two and so here is my American dream.A dream can easily get confused with wants and desires. This makes it important to find a goal that is achievable and strive...
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609 words - 2 pages
ArtemPeople from around the world have struggled to reach America and a chance at their dreams. The "American Dream" is the hopeful expectation and a promise to immigrants as well as native-born Americans, that with hard work they can build a prosperous and comfortable future. "For some it is a vision of material property, for others an ideal of social justice. Some see it as a living reality, others as a promise still to be fulfilled." This apparent quote from the critical lens relates to many works of literature, including The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Langston Hughes' poems, "
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1364 words - 5 pages
The main theme in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is the corruption of society and the down fall of the American Dream. The American Dream is what one strives for in life. It was all about fulfilling their spiritual life and gaining a better lifestyle. In this novel Fitzgerald comments on the values and morals of the rich social class in America during the 1920's. Through the eyes of a young honest man named Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald gives us his impression of the American Dream and how it was just an illusion and that you really couldn't attain it. Characters such as Jay Gatsby,
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1778 words - 7 pages
missing works cited
It is the intent of this paper to prove that the "American Dream" can
best be explained as a "ciity upon a hill." "Ciity upon a hill" meaning
being above and superior over those below. The Civil War, the imperialistic
race of the 19th century, the Korean War, the KKK, and the Gulf War are all
examples of the "American Dream" of superiority playing a part in American
History. Each American has a different idea of this superiority, but
nonetheless strive to achieve it, whatever it may be in.
The Civil War which split the United States, was a clash of two
aspects of approaching the "American Dream" in a young America. Both sides
felt their idea's...
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775 words - 3 pages
In Pursuit of the American Dream The American Dream for the average slave was simple in mind, yet incredibly difficult to achieve. This basic dream was freedom, something we have lived with for all of our lives. To a slave, this is usually nothing more than a dream, one that shall never become a reality. A slave is bound physically and mentally to the institution of slavery. The institution breaks the spirit of the slave, until he or she could not even think of escape or freedom, but only on the task at hand. The white southern planters were suppressing the African American population. Whether free or in bondage, it didn't matter. The racial discrepancy was the excuse of this muzzle the...
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1535 words - 6 pages
It is the intent of this paper to prove that the "American Dream" canbest be explained as a "ciity upon a hill." "Ciity upon a hill" meaningbeing above and superior over those below. The Civil War, the imperialisticrace of the 19th century, the Korean War, the KKK, and the Gulf War are allexamples of the "American Dream" of superiority playing a part in AmericanHistory. Each American has a different idea of this superiority, butnonetheless strive to achieve it, whatever it may be in.The Civil War which split the United States, was a clash of twoaspects of approaching the "American Dream" in a young America. Both sidesfelt...
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613 words - 2 pages
What does American Dream really mean? The answer to this question depends on whom is being asked. Someone born and raised in America, knowing no other way of life is going to feel differently about this subject than someone who has lived in a third-world country his or her entire life. Most Americans take advantage of the conveniences that are afforded them, yet a fairly large amount doesn't appreciate the fact that not every country has such amenities. In almost every house within the United States, there is clean water, waste management, a source of heat and electricity. Through an...
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2238 words - 9 pages
If the American Dream had to be captured within a frozen image, how would the visualization be conveyed? For the majority of today's society, the image would likely include the traditional father, mother, and child(ren) standing pleasantly beside a moderate two story home, a well kept lawn, and neatly trimmed hedges. In the background of this family portrait, a guarded and welcoming neighborhood would appear, complete with similar home designs and family arrangements lining its streets. In other words, the image of the American Dream resides within the typical American suburb. And within this typical suburb lies (supposedly) the remaining components of the ideal American lifestyle.
From...
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1228 words - 5 pages
Although liberty and justice for all is guaranteed by our constitution, I don't believe it exists equally for all segments of our population. What does it mean to live in a country with "Liberty and Justice for all"? Does it mean that everyone who is an American has the right to be what they want? Well by reading the article "American Dreams" by Kevin Jennings, I have came to realize the way people view things in today's society. I don't believe one's dream should be bursted into pieces because of who they are and how they act. It is a very clear picture in my mind that people like gays, blacks,...
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2045 words - 8 pages
Daddy, in “The Ameican Dream,” is muted by a wife who only views him as a source of financial and emotional validation. Mommy claims, “I have the right to live off you because I married you, and because I used to let you get on top of me and bump your uglies; and I have the right to all your money when you die” (Albee 67). Here Albee illuminates how the commitment of marriage is reduced to a sexual-financial transaction. Daddy is less a man than a commodified husband. Daddy, during the course of the play, scarcely utters an original thought, rather he just acts as an echo of what would otherwise be Mommy’s shallow monologue. Their conversation is hollow. Mommy exclaims “... and so,...
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1727 words - 7 pages
I was born and raised in the United States but my family was not born here, they came from an area south of Los Angeles, Mexico. In the border between the United States and Mexico, many immigrants have lost their lives attempting to achieve their promise dream. Many immigrants who cross the border pursue the American Dream. My family was one of the many immigrant families who attempted and fortunately succeeded in crossing over the border. My father’s family originated from Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. Many families just like mine risked their lives attempting to not only get to the border, but to cross it as well. My family did not differ much from the other immigrant families who sought...
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998 words - 4 pages
Slamming the car door, Christie furiously ran away from her silver Lexus into her beautiful white, Victorian home in Los Angeles, California. Collapsing on her oversized waterbed, and struggling through tears, she cried, "Why am I not happy?" This portrait of a discontented life is all too often displayed in the lives of American citizens. In this country, the United States of America, society thrives on the goal of achieving eternal happiness. Our Declaration of Independence recognizes every citizen's opportunity to obtain the rights of "
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894 words - 4 pages
Essay: The Great Gatsby What is the "American Dream"? How does the characterization of Gatsby in the Great Gatsby represent and undermine it? Although "The Great Gatsby" is filled with multiple themes such as love, money, order, reality, illusion and immorality, no one would probably deny that the predominate one focuses on the American Dream and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The attempt to capture the American Dream is the central of this novel. This can be explained by how Gatsby came to get his fortune. By studying the process of how Gatsby tried to achieve his own so-called American Dream, we could have a better understanding of what American dream...
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1630 words - 7 pages
Since the start of the twentieth century America has attracted people all over the world to relocate and start a new life. For many coming to America was a chance for a better life and new things. They all had something in common, they all had a dream, that dream was the "American Dream". In the present day the desire to achieve the dream hasn't changed. However, the idea of the American Dream, brings up a lot of questions. What is the American Dream? Who defines it? Can it be achieved? Lastly, should everyone have a chance to achieve it?
What is the American Dream? When this question was asked on the first day of class, there were many different answers as to what makes up the American...
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1259 words - 5 pages
Years ago, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. In recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression, unemployment and interest rates have skyrocketed. The “American Dream” is an idea that was once a commonly accepted ideology in this country. It has since become only a fallacy. The “American Dream” is no longer an attainable idea, only a fantasy. The “American Dream” is not a true dream that will ever be equally attainable by everyone.
The American dream is the general belief that American Citizens all have an equal opportunity to succeed socially and economically, regardless of any predating circumstances. This idea has been...
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1115 words - 4 pages
The American Dream can be defined in many different perspectives. A generalization of the american dream can be summed up as, “a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work,” (Wikipedia). This may sound very punctual for an audience that are already of the American background. For foriegners, this definition can also be their dream, just more difficult to obtain. The American Dream is a broad topic that has swept across the world for decades, but how does one define the American Dream?
The American Dream has changed...
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845 words - 3 pages
What is the American Dream?Ever since America has been explored and colonized, the conception of an ideolgicaldream has been at the forefront. America has continually provided an arena for those individualsseeking economic, governmental, religious expansion and purification. Even though centurieshave passed, the fundemental priniciples that define the American dream have remained essentiallythe same. Through history and American literature, one can derive a genuine understanding ofwhat actually is the American dream.The concept of the American dream, obviously...
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1007 words - 4 pages
Is the American Dream achievable? "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it" -George Carlin, 2005[2: http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/American-dream]The American Dream: the image of a white picket fence house with a perfect family, two educated children, one girl and one boy and the mother and father both working without worrying about financials concerns. This is the typical example of the American Dream; it is called the stereotypical dream. The Oxford dictionary states that the American Dream is, "The traditional social ideals of the US, such as equality, democracy and material prosperity." However, I firmly believe...
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1190 words - 5 pages
The "True" American Dream In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a vivid portrait of life in the Jazz Age. Taking place in between World War I and the Great Depression, people during this time were all trying to achieve their own version of the American Dream. If it meant becoming rich as quick as possible, or the old fashioned way, everyone had their eyes set on the same prize, money. People would do anything to get it and morals were all but lost in this frenzy to become rich. Fitzgerald uses his novel as a way to demonstrate and criticize different versions of the American...
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1557 words - 6 pages
The American Dream was the philosophy that brought people to America and to start a new life in a strange, foreign land. Due to this dream, it was believed that America was the land of opportunity, wealth, and prosperity. The dream consists of three components: all men are equal, man can trust and should help his fellow man, and the good, virtuous and hard working are rewarded. The ideal of the American Dream is based on the fantasy that an individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, or religion simply by working hard enough. Frequently, success is ranked by the...
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973 words - 4 pages
Olivia DeCapriNovember 5, 2013English 11: 3BThe Great Gatsby EssayDisillusionment of the American DreamIn F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, a classic piece of American literature, the American dream is a prominent theme. In The Great Gatsby, the wealthy...
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